It has been known that the overhead light used in traditional dental practice has inherent problems. The dentist works for periods of time with the dentist's hands, and possibly head, partially preventing the light from illuminating the work site inside of the patient's mouth. One improvement on this overhead lighting system that has been in use for several years is a light that is strapped to the dentist's forehead. While this “headlight” does bring the light closer to the work area and avoids interference by the dentist's head, the dentist's hands continue to block the light at the work site.
Pursuant to the development of fiber optic filaments for the transmission of light, a remote light source was introduced to bring illumination to the tip of the dental handpiece, improving visibility in the work area. This system uses a light source that is typically located in the dental chair or an instrument panel. The entry end of the fiber optic bundle is positioned adjacent to the light source and the fiber optic filaments travel through the supply hose through a swivel coupling to bring light into the handpiece at a point that is close to the drill bit. In an alternate design, the light source is located in the swivel coupling with electric current being supplied from the dental chair or instrument panel through a set of wires enclosed in the supply hose. This newer system is quite effective in providing illumination at the work site with virtually no blockage by the dentist's head or hands. However, the need for long fiber optic filaments or electric wires and their associated weight as well as a control box/transformer and access to electricity makes this lighting system expensive and cumbersome. Furthermore, installing and servicing this existing lighting system requires significant expertise and time.
Most rotary dental apparatus is driven by a flow of compressed air that travels through the supply hose and through the swivel coupling to the handpiece. The swivel coupling serves to connect the supply hose to the handpiece, transmitting compressed air and water while allowing the handpiece to be rotated to access various surfaces of the patient's teeth. After the compressed air passes through the handpiece, the air is discharged.